(a) field of the invention
The present invention relates to a device for stimulating the human respiratory system by mere increase of the respiratory organs activity
(b) brief description of the prior art
It is well known that regular stimulation of the thoracic musculature is of a great interest for those who wish to develop their aerobic endurance, to increase their respiratory organs functional capabilities and to improve their lung ventilation. These development, increase and/or improvement can be particularly useful for the athletes who wants to develop their endurance in some athletic activities, or the paraplegics or other disabled who want to exercise their abdominal muscles to recover, for example, from a surgical operation.
The object of the present invention is to provide a device for stimulating the human respiratory system by making breathing more difficult and limiting lung ventilation, which device is simple in structure, small in size and little expansive.
By way of examples, the device according to the invention can be used for stimulating the inspiratory and expiratory muscles, for stimulating the osseous and cartilagineous structures of the thorax, especially in youths, and for increasing the aerobic working capacity.
Up to now, this kind of stimulation and development has been obtained by practising physical activities of the aerobic type, by using an altitude simulator, or in hospitals, by blowing air at the bottom of a vertical tube containing a column of water.
The main problem with the practice of physical activities of the aerobic type is that the respiratory muscles are rarely and never specifically exercised to a sufficient extent. Indeed, the other muscles and the articulations are overworked and become sources of pains in most of the cases well before the respiratory muscles, thereby preventing adequate training of the cardiovascular system. An altitude simulator permits to exercise the respiratory muscles in a way similar to the instant invention. However, such a simulator is very expansive and very voluminous (20 to 25 times bigger and at least 50 times heavier than the device according to the invention). Last of all, the apparatuses used in hospitals to stimulate the respiratory activity are efficient but not very easy to transport and therefore use under normal conditions.